It is well known to purify raw air before routing the air and fuel through a manifold and supplying the air and fuel to a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. Such known air cleaners typically include a filter disposed in a container. In operation, such known air cleaners provide for the intake of raw air, the purification of the raw air and the routing of purified air to the manifold. Such known manifolds provide for the routing of the purified air and the fuel to the cylinder head of the engine.
It is also well known to reduce the amount of noise generated by an automobile and its associated components. For example, a muffler may be connected to an engine exhaust to reduce the noise generated by the ignition of the fuel and the air in the engine. In addition, it is known to provide sound absorbing materials under the hood of an automobile and in the driver compartment of the automobile to reduce the amount of engine and ambient noise perceptible to the driver.
A problem with such known air cleaners and their containers is that they are not typically configured to reduce engine noise or noise generated by belt driven engine accessories. Further, such containers typically have a single purpose (i.e., containing the air cleaner) and are not easily accessible for servicing of the air cleaner.
What is needed, therefore, is a housing system configured to receive an air cleaner and reduce the amount of noise generated by an engine and its associated belt driven accessories. It would also be advantageous to have a housing system onto which cavity accessories and mechanical accessories may be secured. It would further be advantageous to have a housing system that is capable of cooling such accessories. It would also be advantageous to provide a housing system of simple structure that occupies the unused underhood space of an automobile.